Page 61 of Keep On Loving You

“What’s the look for?” Andy asked again.

“You sound like a proud boyfriend or?—”

“Or a good friend?” He hoped like hell he sounded more confident than he felt. “Because I am proud of her.”

“Right.” Symon crossed his arms and sat back on the edge of his trunk. “As a friend.”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure that’s all it is?”

Andy inhaled deeply and turned, his hand on the roof of his truck. “What are you saying, Symon? Because I’m too exhausted to pretend I have any idea.”

Another lie, and they both knew it.

Andy waited a beat and when Symon’s only answer wasa raised eyebrow and a sharp shake of his head, Andy blew out the breath.

“We’re just friends, Sy. That’s all?—”

“Who’s just friends?”

Neither of them had seen Craig arrive. Andy almost choked over his words, coughing dramatically as he tried to quickly recover from the fact that his best friend almost overheard something he really wouldn’t understand.

“Me and Jess.” He said as smoothly as he could. “I was just telling Symon that she’s great, and I know Charli was hoping it would be a love match, but…” He shrugged as casually as he could and looked at Symon who, thankfully, had his sunglasses on again—because Andy was sure the other man’s eyes were wide in question, wondering what the hell was up with Andy.

He hoped like hell Sy was smart enough to put two and two together and that if he said anything out loud, they’d be looking for a new trainer for the ski team because Craig would kill him on the spot.

“Jess, huh?” Craig took a moment to digest what Andy said. “She’s great. But not your type at all.”

“Wait.” Andy shot him a look. “How is she not my type?”

Jess was gorgeous, successful, funny, and a genuinely nice person. The insinuation that she wasn’t his type rubbed him the wrong way, and for a moment Andy forgot that the whole point of bringing Jess’s name into the conversation was to keep the focus off the real situation.

“Sorry,” Craig said with a laugh. “I should say thatyou’re not reallyhertype. After all, you’re more the love ’em and leave ’em type, right?”

He was really starting to regret telling Craig that stupid lie. Add it to the list of lies. They were really starting to build up.

Andy swallowed back his guilt.

“Who? Andy?” Symon didn’t even bother trying to hide his surprise. “No way.” He dismissed the idea with a wave of a hand. “I don’t see it at all.”

Spotting his chance, Andy seized it. “I went through a bit of a phase,” he started to explain. “It was my player phase, I guess.” He turned to Craig. “But it’s totally over now. I’m not at all like that now.”

Fuck.

“Is that right?” Symon asked. “So you’re looking for a relationship then?”

He hoped like hell the man would just keep his mouth shut.

“I don’t know why we’re talking about this anyway.” He turned to Craig. “What the hell are you doing out here at the training center, anyway? Don’t you have a business to run?”

Craig laughed. “I was actually on my way home from the city and thought I’d pop in. I haven’t been here since the team moved in. Show me around?” He directed the question at Symon, who hopped up and closed the back of his vehicle again.

“Sure thing.”

They turned to head toward the building, but beforethey did, Craig looked at him. “If it’s true that you’re looking for a relationship, Andy, you better get the hell out of my sister’s place.”

Andy froze. He turned slowly, hardly daring to breathe as he faced his friend. There was no way he knew.

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